The invention relates to a hardtop vehicle roof with three rigid roof parts which are interconnected and are movable between a closed position, in which they cover, disposed one behind another, an interior vehicle space, and an open position, in which they are in a storage position remote from the interior vehicle space. The roof parts are supported by an operating mechanism which is mounted on the vehicle body and linked to the intermediate roof part to which the front and rear roof parts are linked and operated such that, in the storage position, the front and rear roof parts are disposed on top of one another and on top of the intermediate roof part.
Such hard top vehicle roofs are known from DE 100 06 296C1. They can be moved from their closed positions, in which they cover the interior of a vehicle, to a storage position, in which the roof parts are combined to a roof part packet, wherein the front roof part and the rear roof part are disposed on top of the intermediate roof part on which the front and the rear roof parts are supported by way of a lever operating mechanism which is mounted on the vehicle body. In the packet of the roof parts, the intermediate roof part is disposed between the front and rear roof parts wherein either the front or the rear roof part is disposed below the intermediate roof part. The common drive for the vehicle roof or rather the roof parts occurs by way of the intermediate roof part which is supported by an operating mechanism mounted to the vehicle body. The operating mechanism comprises a four-link operating mechanism whose one arm is a driven control arm from which the drive for one of the operating structures is derived by way of a drive arm which itself is part of an operating mechanism in the form of a four-link structure. The four link structure is arranged in the transition area to the rear roof part. The other arm of the four link operating mechanism forms the drive for the operating mechanism associated the front control arm, which is also formed by a four-link operating mechanism. A roof section arrangement of this type is intended particularly in connection with station wagons or SUV's and is specifically adapted to the space conditions presented thereby.
Another hardtop vehicle roof is known from DE 196 42 152A1, wherein, in the closed position of the roof, the roof parts are disposed adjacent one another and, in the open position the roof parts are stacked in a roof part packet, in which the roof parts are disposed on top of one another and stored as a packet in a rear storage compartment. The rear roof part is pivotally mounted to the vehicle body; the front and the intermediate roof part are linked to the respective adjacent roof part by an operating mechanism. In the roof part packet, the intermediate roof part is disposed below the rear roof part and the front roof part is disposed below the intermediate roof part.
For the transfer of the vehicle roof into the storage position, the vehicle roof is pivoted open with the roof parts remaining in their position relative to each other and only then is the roof parts packet formed in that the front and intermediate roof parts are pivoted concurrently relative to each other and under the rear roof part while their relative orientations are maintained. For the movement of the roof parts relative to one another and the movement of the roof to its storage position, a common drive is provided, wherein the drives for the operating mechanisms interconnecting the roof parts are branched off from the rear roof part operating arm drive mechanism by way of which the whole roof is supported. Inspite of the high kinematic and control mechanism expenditures, the possibilities of influencing the roof movements are very limited. At the same time, the operating mechanisms must be very rigid and the operating arms, which are subjected because of the wide extension of the roof during the transfer, must be very sturdy as the roof is raised with the parts aligned before the roof parts can be broken down into a packet.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a hardtop vehicle roof of the type referred to above which however is highly flexible with regard to its adjustability and whose operating mechanism is quite compact and requires relatively little space without invading the interior vehicle space during opening and closing of the vehicle roof.